Nationals 3 Mets 2 (Nationals Park, Washington, DC)
Mets record: 64-75
Mets streak: Lost 1
WP – Kyle Finnegan (7-4)
LP – Phil Bickford (4-5)
Seat on the Korner: Jose Butto
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
To say that Jose Butto's start tonight was a surprise is an understatement. Taking the mound in what would normally be Carlos Carrasco's slot, Butto went 6 1/3 and left having given up no runs. Manager Buck Showalter was understandably skittish about leaving him in with two men on -- Butto had never gone that far in his previous starts, either with the Mets or with Syracuse. Butto's record at Syracuse was also underwheming: a 3-7 record and a 5.93 ERA. Does this earn him another turn in the rotation? Or is he the latest in the parade of one-game-and-back-to-Triple A--pitchers? At least he can get a chance to reflect on the Korner before boarding the Greyhound.
Need to Know
*Ronny Mauricio now has a five-game hitting streak. Mauricio went 2-for-4, raising his average to .470. If you're wondering, the franchise record for longest hitting streak to start a Mets major league career is seven, held by Daniel Murphy.
*Francisco Lindor now has 30 doubles. He needs four more homers to become the 12th player in Mets history to have a 30-30 season.
*Dominic Smith had a hot night for the Nats, going 3-for-4. The sentimental Mets fan favorite is hitting .262 for Washington, with seven home runs, 38 RBI and a .684 OBP.
*Brandon Nimmo's leadoff double gave him an eight-game hitting streak.
*Two nice defensive plays in the game: Brett Baty starting a double play by snagging a hard-hit ball in the bottom of the second and Rafael Ortega fighting a ball he lost in the lights for a catch that could have broken the game open but ended the seventh.
*After a Mauricio double in the sixth, Ortega executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, but Brandon Nimmo grounded out to third -- Mauricio was not running on contact -- and Lindor hit a screaming grounder that Carter Kieboom snagged to throw Lindor out and end the inning. One of many disappointing outcomes for the Mets.
*After a day off, the Mets travel to Minnesota to face the Twins Friday with Kodai Senga taking the mound,
Turning Point
No, it wasnt the ninth inning when the Nationals won the game. The turning point came in the seventh, when Trevor Gott was called in to preserve a two-run lead with one out and two on base. Gott promptly gave up a hard single to Ildemaro Vargas, scoring Dominic Smith. Gott nearly threw the ball away on a bunt by Jacob Young -- he was saved by a Brett Baty stretch -- but any hope he could get out of the inning without further damage evaporated when C.J. Abrams singled to center, scoring Vargas and allowing Washington to tie the game. The Mets never came back from that disaster.
Three Keys
As bad as Trevor Gott was, Phil Bickford was even worse. Pitching the ninth, Bickford walked Carter Kieboom to start the inning, hit Jake Alu on an 0-2 count, didn't get off the mound quickly enough on a bunt to have a play on Kieboom at third (and nearly threw the ball away going to first for the out) and gave up Jacob Young's bleeder hit with the infield in to end the game..
Late double plays killed the Mets. With the game tied in the eighth, Ronny Mauricio hit a screaming line drive that C.J. Abrams caught, doubling off Omar Narvaez. In the ninth, after Rafael Ortega walked, Brandon Nimmo grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Twice, Washington manager Davey Martinez intentionally walked Pete Alonso to pitch to the kids. The first time, it was with two outs and nobody on in the third. Brett Baty followed with a single, but Mark Vientos struck out. The second time, in the fifth, it was with one out and Francisco Lindor on second. Baty struck out, but Vientos singled, plating the Mets' second run.
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